Madame Butterfly, Vancouver Opera, Queen Elizabeth Theatre

What a wonderful night for Puccini’s masterpiece Madame Butterfly.  Pink cherry blossoms on the streets as we walked to the car. Pink cherry blossoms on the magnificent set depicting Nagasaki Japan during the allied occupation 1940’s to 50’s. .  We driove in from the Burnaby suburbs to the busttling Vancouver city.. Saturday night. Cultural events and sports events and just the city itself.  So much life.  Parking wasn’t a problem just finding our way to Queen E once we came out on Hamilton turned around and looking for Homer street. 

 Laura had the tickets. We arrived on time.  She was dressed in a new tan and white spring frock with her Mexican cowboy boots engraved with flowers. . I had the grey shirt, wheat coloured Harris tweed jacket, tan slacks and sandals. I would have worn shoes but I couldn’t find the shoe horn.  

We were ‘dressed’ for an event and I was thankful to see almost all others were. Vancouver was once an uncultured town where too many vied for attention by dressing like refugees at theatre, ballet and opera events the expense of production itself exclusive.  No more. Every year that college student attention seeking has declined.   Audiences are participating in the aura of the evening. Vancouverites are a quick study. 

I remember going to Rocky Horror Picture Show\ a couple of decades back to be one of very few in costume on Halloween.  A few years later almost all had arrived with rice ready to participate in the act. 

Here at the opera I loved the long gowns, brocades and satins, little black numbers, capri pants, suits and sparkling jewelry.    A lot of beautiful and handsome young people too. A lot of Asians.   I wondered if this was reflection of the show itself or the love of music, especially classical, in these talented educated folk.  My first opera, again decades ago,  seemed to be dominated by  elderly church folk, a white haired affair. The ballet has.always had a hip slick and cool following but that  fashion and vibe seemed to have moved to the opera. There was a complete age spread and culture spread and just a whole lot of interesting people watching.   The ‘in crowd’ was certainly here tonight.   Lots of elite along with those who just loved the music. I loved it.  Standing in line for a cappuccino while others collected stemmed glasses of wine I loved the people watching. It feels so good to be part of something so much more than television, a time, a place, a magical memorable event.

Laura looked lovely. The first bell to announce seats sounded.

I don’t like announcements, political or otherwise. Fortunately they were brief. Frankly, I always want to skip right to the beginning. That was the orchestra which was unbelievably superb. Music director Jacques Lacombe out did him self with the collective of fabulous musicians.  What a start to a magnificent night. Next the perfect set that took me instantly back to my time in Japan.  The singing began with acting thatt  all just flowed and fit..

I loved the English titles thrown up on the screen above the performers. I realized I was  trying to match the words to song till I realized how silly that was,  Puccini’s Italian. Pinkerton, the male scoundrel lead whose character transformation was profound wore modern naval attire which juxtaposed with the traditional costume of the Japanese family.  The costuming was incredible and the juxtapositions of American and Japanese were fascinating. 

I really loved the two men Pinkerton ( Robert Watson)  and the Consul Sharpless (Brett (Polegato)  singing. What rich tapestry of male sound!  The chorus was wonderful at the wedding.  But really. Yasko Sato who played  Cio-cio-san the bride . Madame Butterfly, was the most captivating.  Her maid, Suzuki ( Nozomi Kato) was delightful. These women’s voices together were such a marvellous dance.  The uncle, the Bonze played by Insung Sim was the perfect gangster wicked witch in the dramatic scene of wedding conflict, pagan gods offended by the American cross. What a perfect moment made vivid by Puccini’s music and timing thanks to conductor Lacombe and director Mo Zhou. After the earlier happy wedding music this shift was so dramatic.  The dischord was magically followed by the  the most tender and intimate love song duo of Watson (Pinkerton) and Sato (Butterfly).  The rising moon in the set and romantic poetic duet literally brought down the curtain to the first act followed by applause and more applause. 

The second act and third act were even more perfect as the story unfolded with surprising twists of plot. I won’t be a spoiler. The pathos was profound. The breadth and depth of music just so moving.  The final curtain fell. The cast appeared  bowing and smiling.  The standing ovations followed with  crescendoing applause for Yasko Sato so well deserved  What a truly magnificent  moving performance by all. Laura and I spoke with admiration and joy about the performance as we left the threatre.  It was  clear Vancouver cherry blosoom night